Maezie's transformation

[airplane]

Part 2

I only use a show lead for training for dog shows and also obviously at a show. For regular walks and stuff I still prefer to use a harness for safety reasons. If a dog wanted to, they could maybe get the lead off of their neck and just the idea of having it around their neck, I just don’t like it in terms of safety.

I purchased my wonder wheeler off of amazon. Although other people have told me they got theirs from Costco, a different brand but it looks like the exact same thing. I don’t know if they’re still at Costco, but maybe. I modified it with a top on it for grooming and I also attach my grooming arm on it too. I’ll attach a picture to show what it looks like.

If you’d like, I do have two dvds that are about grooming a yorkie. One is for show preparation and the other dvd is for coat maintenance. They are both by Kirsten McGregor. Watching the dvds has helped me a fair bit. It’s always nice to actually watch someone step by step to learn. I do the topknot a bit different than she does, but I’ve found out there’s like 20 different ways to do it. That’s a bit beyond the point I guess, but yeah if you would like the dvds, just private message me a mailing address and I will send them to you. I’ve watched them and gotten what I needed to out of them. I don’t watch them anymore and I’d have no problem giving them away.

With being in Vancouver, if you do end up getting really serious about showing, you could probably find someone in the area who could be a mentor to you. There’s definitely some yorkie people in and around Vancouver. I do know that there is a Yorkshire terrier club of BC. I’d bet that all the members of that club show yorkies and could probably be an awesome source of info and help to you. From the training aspect and the grooming aspect. I bet there’s some people in the Vancouver area who could definitely help you out.

I’ve had to learn everything by asking people for help (even right at a show when I probably shouldn’t be bothering people, I’ll ask for help), watching Kirsten McGregor dvds, and I had just gotten back a little while ago from a conformation workshop that was a 6hr drive away from me. The grooming aspect I would describe as a learning curve cause nobody in Grande Prairie knows how to groom a yorkie for show and could help me with that. With me living in the north, I’m really limited with the resources that can help me. I have definitely made some mistakes, especially when I first started showing. And for training for competing at a show, Maezie had some bad habits that I had to work hard to train out of her. And I’m still learning different things and different techniques of stacking her on a table and stuff like that and just figuring out what works best for her and me. And for sure you will definitely learn things from lots of different people. I guess what I’m saying is that it takes a lot of work and dedication to really get involved and get ready for the competitions. It was more than I anticipated it would be. But if you start by taking some classes and practicing, you can absolutely do it! For me there was I think 3 months between the first conformation training class I took (like the very first class where I walked in and knew nothing) and the first show I competed in. So a person can cram it into a short period of time if need be if there’s a show coming up fairly soon that you want to compete in.

Another thing that is really awesome for you is that there are a number of shows near Vancouver that you could go and compete in and they’re fairly close to you so you don’t have to worry about traveling long distances. But be warned that if you get hooked, you might find yourself doing more and more traveling to compete. Lol.

I am definitely gonna be doing some more competitions. I think my next show will be in February I believe. Very few Alberta shows have the altered class but a number in BC have that class. So I’ll be doing mostly BC shows. And that’s also the reason why I have 12+ hr drives to compete, and that’s just going one way. It really sucks living in the north. Lol. The spring and summer of 2018 is when most the shows are that I’m planning to compete in next. I’m really excited for the island shows. And everybody says how good they are, and I agree. The Nanaimo show was the best show I’ve competed in. It was just run so much better and way better organization and everything. It just made for a really fun show. Some shows are not very organized or run well, and it can just be like a zoo and it’s just a stressful environment to be in and not near as fun as it should be. So with everyone who has told me how good the island shows are, I’m planning on doing a bunch of them.

To find out if a show is offering the altered class, just click on the event on www.dogshow.ca, and then click on the premium list. The premium list will tell you whether or not the altered class is part of the show. And it tells you basically everything - the venue, classes offered, the judges, accommodations, etc. After the closing date is over, they will release a judging schedule. From that you will know what time you show at and what ring you show in. I had to ask people how am I supposed to read and make sense of the premium list and the judging schedule. It looked so foreign to me. I always enter for shows online cause it’s so much easier than filling out all that stuff and mailing it. And I think the trick to reading the judging schedule is to count about 2mins per dog.

That trip to Amsterdam would be awesome. It looks like it’s just a random draw. I’d love to win that to be able to go watch a show way over there.

The last thing I want to mention to you is that if you do end up doing a bunch of competitions in the altered class, people may start to take notice. What I mean by that is that I think many people understand the amount of dedication it takes. It makes you look good. It makes you look dedicated. People might end up talking about you a little bit. Lol. I don’t know if the altered class was meant for people to bring in their pet to compete as a means of getting experience in competing and learning about and getting involved in dog shows, but that’s what I’m using it as. And in the future if I want an unaltered dog to compete in the regular class with, I now kinda have something to say to the breeder I contact. Of course as I’ve started to develop an eye for a dog and learned lots about the breed, I have developed a preference of what I like and there are certain yorkies and certain lines or looks that I really admire. It kinda puts you in a position to say that you’ve been competing in the altered class and that you go to and take all these conformation classes. I think it just sorta helps a little bit if in the future you are ever wanting a show dog for the regular class. Plus the regular class is not limited like the altered class is. Every conformation dog show has the regular class. My understanding is that show dogs are quite difficult to acquire. Sometimes I think unless we’re friends or unless I have support from a breeders inner circle of friends, how am I ever going to get a show dog for the regular class. But with the altered class at least you’re involved in the game, so to speak. It’s a good thing and I think it can only help. Or if you just want to stick with the altered class and do it with Scottie and Casie on some weekends, it’s a lot of fun and you can just do it and enjoy it and have fun with it!

[airplane]

Attached is a pic of my wonder wheeler that I forgot to add in my previous post.
And sorry for the messed up font on my part 1 post. Copy and paste must’ve messed it up somehow and I can’t edit it.

[canana]

Omigoodness! I cannot say enough thank you's to you for your time to write all this!! Wow! So much good information. I'm too excited - I haven't had a chance to thoroughly read through everything but just wanted to say for now that I took a look at the two clubs you found. The Lowermainland Dog Fanciers of BC looks like something I could totally try out!

And I know that brand, Coat Handler too. My breeder had given me a bottle of the conditioner and I've been using it for the past 3 years because of how it can be diluted. I'm so excited! I think I would try out the shows in Chilliwack next year. Anyway, I'll write more later...

Thank you x's a million!

[DBlain]

Originally Posted by airplane

Just wanted to share a photo showing how Maezie's coat has changed from 11 months of age to almost 26 months. It happened gradually and I didn't even realize how big of a change it was until I started looking through older pictures. I'm actually quite blown away by how much she has changed.

She is beautiful, she would look great in our 2018 Yorkie Talk Calendar, see my thread in the General Discussion page so you will understand how it works